Beautiful, Demented
by Lavinia Decided to Die
Summary: The son of lightning was starting to remember while the Dove watched him let her waste away. Whatever happened to her saving Grace? They're on the journey to Camp Jupiter, neither of them realizing that they were changing.


**Disclaimer: I'm not Riordan, I'm not a demigod. The Lost Hero isn't mine, although I hope Jason is.**

A|N: I might throw in some original characters as I see fit. I tried not to write an OOC Jason but he wasn't exactly easy so I hope you won't bash on him.

The title of the chapter is from a Mayday Parade song.

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><p>Jason Grace was being ignored by the pretty Piper McLean. The child of lightning had no idea why and it drove him to the brinks of insanity. It was like, one moment, she was telling him that she would follow him anywhere and the next, she was giving him the cold shoulder. He replayed every conversation in his mind, looked for any action on his part that might have offended her. Then thought of why he bothered.<p>

It frustrated Jason, how she affected him. How she could disarm him with her challenging smiles. How she could manage to outsmart him with her smart-assed quips. How she could endanger him with her dangerous eyes. How she could make him want to push her against a wall- or any surface, for that matter- to kiss her, even if to just taste the cinnamon in her breath.

Now she was ignoring him, disregarding the fact that a week earlier, she thought he was hers.

If only he could talk to Leo, at least the guy still treated him like the best friend he never was. But he was too engrossed with the warship, the Argo II, and then again, even if he wasn't, Leo would just tell him no to read too much into Piper's actions.

Jason could try talking to Annabeth, at least the girl seemed- was- sharp. But she was too busy thinking about how Percy was holding up at the Roman camp and then again, even if she wasn't, they weren't exactly bosom buddies.

Jason's last option was Thalia. But she was too busy fighting monsters with the Hunters and then again, even if she wasn't, he wasn't exactly comfortable telling his older sister about "girl problems".

So he decided to wait for the storm to blow over and make things right again, little knowing that what was happening was only a drizzle compared to what would happen the moment the Argo II was finished and they had to face the Romans.

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><p>"Jason, you have archery with the Aphrodite cabin! Get your ass over there right. This. Instant!" Butch, son of Iris, yelled. Although there was mirth, not menace, in Butch's voice, Jason couldn't help but wince. He still didn't have his memories back yet, at least, not all of them, but he could remember how taking orders was never easy for him. He sighed.<p>

Grabbing his bow (custom-made by a rather enthusiastic Leo), he went airborne and saw a slightly amused, very irritated rainbow dude.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jason said. Flying just a few meters above the ground, he quickly saw Piper. After all, a daughter of Aphrodite wasn't hard to miss. He saw her fire a black arrow with so much force that sent the dummy to the ground. She assessed the damage and sighed, acting as if her skills at archery were nonexistent. He smiled to himself.

_So, so beautiful, _he thought to himself.

"Hiya, Pipes," he greeted, knowing full well that she hated anyone but her father for calling her that but wanting to get her to notice him anyway.

Piper looked at him with bored eyes and a pedantic smile. Even defiant in her stance and with beads of sweat dropping down the sides of her face, she still managed to look like a million bucks. A few seconds passed without anyone saying anything.

"Well . . . do you need something?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in annoyance.

Jason frowned. What was going on between them? A week earlier, she would have cracked a joke and made him forget what he was going to say in the first place. A week earlier, she would have conspired with him to get out of archery and charm their way to a snack. A week earlier, he wouldn't have been pissed off by how pissed off she was.

"What's with the attitude, McLean?" Jason asked coldly, using her last name like a reflex. Like he had always done it before to assert authority.

Piper's ever-changing eyes narrowed. She grabbed her arrows and regarded Jason coolly, looking terrifying in the manner with which she carried herself at the moment. Her confidence surprised Jason and he couldn't help but marvel at how much Piper- his Piper- had changed.

"It's pointless asking rhetorical questions, _Grace_. You're nobody's leader yet."

Jason snapped back to his growing anger. What was up with her? Did he do something wrong? It wasn't like he could figure it out for himself! He was a son of Jupiter, not some intellectual son of Minerva, Athena, or whoever. Reyna would never have blown up . . . _Reyna._

He suddenly remembered a girl. Well, he recalled her before but not in such detail. He could make out an exotic face with the brightest emeralds for eyes. A calculating but warm stare. A regal air. Lost in his memories, he didn't notice how Piper sensed the possibility of his thoughts straying to another girl and walked proudly away with a disgusted sneer on her otherwise pretty face.


End file.
